I had a black lab at one time and I agree they require a lot of attention so people should know what they're in for. My dog got up to 100 pounds and he was a handful...had a lot of energy, ate a ton of food. When they get bored they simply tear stuff up to pass time lol. Luckily my lab didn't do too much damage to my house. Just a few shoes were chewed up. I found that they need long walks to wear them out and chew toys for their boredom. They're great family dogs and love to play. My lab loved the water as well and used to beg to be hosed down so giving baths wasn't a problem.
My neighbor is a nurse who works long hours and she has a black lab now. Similar to S y's story her lab got bored and tore the stuffing out of her couch...completely hollowed it out